Subscriber identity module (SIM) cards enable a telecommunication service subscriber to be identified on a corresponding service provider's network by storing a unique international mobile subscriber identifier (IMSI) that can be retrieved and subsequently authenticated over-the-air by a corresponding service provider each time a user equipment engages in communications (e.g., mobile voice calling, texting, data service) with its telecommunication service provider or mobile network operator (MNO). A SIM IMSI generally includes a mobile country code (MCC), a mobile network code (MNC), and a mobile subscriber identification number (MSIN). This information allows a user's provider-issued SIM card to be identified, registered, and authenticated with an issuing MNO.
The SIM circuit is a part of the function of a universal integrated circuit card (UICC), which can be physically inserted into the SIM socket of a user equipment. Because SIM cards are static and include IMSI data that cannot be modified after issuance, a customer may be issued a different SIM card each time the customer purchases a new user equipment and/or a new service plan offering from an MNO. Upon issuance of the new SIM card, the old SIM card is removed and the new SIM card is inserted into the SIM socket of the user equipment.
In contrast, remote management of embedded UICC (eUICC) or embedded SIM (eSIM) is distinguished from physical UICC or SIM in that eUICC allows an MNO to respond to requests to change subscription from one MNO to another MNO without having physical access to the eUICC in a user equipment or terminal. Generally, eUICCs can handle multiple profiles from multiple MNOs, but only one profile can be enabled at any time in operation.
Mechanisms for over-the-air remote provisioning and management of eUICC in user equipment entail downloading new profiles, updating subscription addresses, and enabling, disabling, or deleting profiles as defined in the GMSA Remote Provisioning Architecture for eUICC Technical Specification. Particularly, subscription managers (SMs) can generate and manage a profile on a eUICC. Additionally, an SM can manage service plans or subscription change. Each SM comprises one or more profiles and a subscription manager secure routing (SM-SR) can ensure the secure transport of both eUICC platform and eUICC profile management commands in order to load, enable, disable, and delete profiles on the eUICC. Subscription managers can further comprise a subscription manager data preparation (SM-DP) or subscription manager data preparation (enhanced) (SM-DP+) for securing packaging profiles to be provisioned on the eUICC. The SM-DP or SM-DP+ manages the installation of these profiles on the eUICC.
While remote provisioning and management of eUICC enable original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) to market user equipment with straightforward connectivity experience, offering a freedom of choice of mobile subscriptions can frustrate business and marketing objectives for MNOs because SMs may not account for the MNOs' eligibility criteria for loading, enabling, disabling, or deleting profiles. For instance, MNOs may desire to discourage customers to deviate from expected service usage within a lifecycle of cellular subscriptions by acquiring unaffiliated, generic/unlocked equipment to avoid purchasing services and products from an MNO. In order to better manage client privilege and increase accountability of end user contracts by allowing MNOs to oversee SMs' management of service plans or subscription change, a validated prioritized profile that is owned by an MNO should be loaded on a targeted user equipment and/or eUICC, and eligibility criteria for modifying, deleting, adding, or replacing the profile as set forth by an MNO and/or an SM must be determined.